212 CONIFEROUS TREES 



termination thereof, and sufficient of the wood 

 and bark removed to allow of the insertion of the 

 graft. The scion should be prepared by cutting 

 the end square across, and by shaving a piece from 

 one of the sides of similar length to the cut in the 

 stock — in fact, the scion should as nearly as 

 possible replace the portion cut from the side of 

 the stock. About 4 inches is a good length for 

 the scion, which should, after being prepared as 

 above directed, be tied securely in its place by 

 grafting cotton, and this covered over either with 

 clay or grafting wax. The frame containing the 

 pots of grafted conifers should be kept close and 

 shaded from too powerful light by mats or screen- 

 ing ; but at the same time condensed moisture 

 should be allowed to pass away by opening the 

 lights for a short time in the morning. 



In from a month to six weeks many of the 

 grafts will have taken, and after a complete union 

 is effected the head of the stock may be gradually 

 shortened back to the point where grafting took 

 place. The graft should be placed low on the 

 stock, or so as not to be noticeable above ground 

 level. 



By Layering. — Several species of Picea and 

 other conifers may be increased by layering the 

 lower branches, but this system is rarely carried 

 out and is open to objections. It consists in 

 bending the branch down to ground-level amongst 

 previously prepared soil of a sandy, open nature, 

 where it is kept in position by means of a hooked 

 peg until roots are emitted. After becoming 

 rooted the branch is severed between the peg 

 and the main stem, and the offshoot allowed to 



